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Chalicothere
Chalicotheres (family Chalicotheriidae) were prehistoric odd-toed ungulates which lived in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa from the Middle Eocene until the Early Pleistocene, existing from 46.2 mya to at least 781,000 years ago. Although generally considered extinct, some cryptozoologists and several mainstream zoologists have suggested they may have persisted for longer than is accepted, and could still be extant. Karl Shuker has noted that, in contrast to many cryptids, the idea of living chalicotheres has been extensively considered by a number of mainstream scientists.Shuker, Karl (1995) In Search of Prehistoric Survivors Asia Two gold belt plaques depicted a horselike animal with clawed feet, discovered in a Saka tomb in Siberia, have been proposed to show a late-surviving chalicothere. Dale A. Drinnon writes that several depictions of griffins resemble chalicotheres, which may have had overhanging lips. According to Drinnon, the defining feature of a griffin is its claws, not its wings; depictions of wingless griffins are common.Rough Draft of Amendments to Cryptozoological Checklist located online Africa Charles William Andrews suggested the Nandi bear could be a living chalicothere, and his theory was supported by eminent anthropologist Louis Leakey and chalicothere expert Christine Janis.Shuker, Karl (2014) The Beasts That Hide from Man Chalicotheres, with sloping backs, bear-like heads, long claws, and short tails, agree very well with physical descriptions of the Nandi bear – and the forefeet of a chalicothere, with three toes and inward-turned claws, would also be somewhat consistent with the "hyena-like" Nandi bear. Chalicothere fossils have been found in an area where chimiset attacks were reported, and Heuvelmans noted that if the okapi, a relative of certain giraffids contemporary to chalicotheres, could survive in Central Africa to the present day, there is little reason why a chalicothere couldn't.Heuvelmans, Bernard (1955) On the Track of Unknown Animals A number of authors have also noted that rinderpest, which the Nandi people said decimated chimiset populations at the end of the 19th Century, principally kills ungulates, not carnivores.Pitman, Charles (1931) A Game Warden Among His ChargesShukerNature: NANDI BEARS AND DEATH BIRDS - MY TOP TEN DEADLIEST MYSTERY BEASTS !! Most known African chalicotheres are known only from the Miocene, the most common at the time being Butleria. One genus, Ancylotherium, is known to have survived into the Early Pleistocene, but it was a member of the chalicothere subfamily Schizotheriinae, and is believed to have resembled a horse more than a gorilla or hyena. A Late Miocene genus of chalicothere discovered in Baringo County, Kenya in 1979 was named Chemositia,Werdelin, Lars & Sanders, William Joseph (2010) Cenozoic Mammals of Africa presumably in recognition of the Nandi bear-chalicothere theory. However, if the Nandi bear were a chalicothere, it could not be a vicious predator, as chalicotheres were certainly herbivorous, which would make hyenas and ratels responsible the attacks blamed on the Nandi bear,Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained (2007) although Shuker notes that just because chalicotheres were herbivores, it does not mean they couldn't have been aggressive or dangerous. Captain William Hichens suggested the chipekwe of and could be a living chalicothere, at least based on some reports. However, George Eberhart notes that chalicotheres are not believed to have been amphibious.Eberhart, George (2002) Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology On the basis of its original description of having a horse's body and a lion's claws, and its reportedly herbivorous behaviour, Bernard Heuvelmans also briefly discussed the possibility that the dilali, among other Central African amphibious cryptids, could be a living chalicothere. He concluded that the likeness is only partial, and pointed out that there is no evidence of chalicotheres being aquatic. North America Karl Shuker noted that the tiny Domenech's pseudo-goat, reported once from Texas in the 1850's, sounded similar to a supposedly extinct chalicothere, as it was described as goat-like, yet clawed.ShukerNature: NEVER TANGLE WITH A TYGOMELIA - OR TANGO WITH A TOKANDIA! See also *Category:Theory: Living fossil - Chalicothere Notes and references Do you think it's possible that chalicotheres could still live? Yes No Chalicothere Chalicothere Chalicothere Category:China Chalicothere Chalicothere Chalicothere Chalicothere Chalicothere Chalicothere Chalicothere Category:Latest fossil: Pleistocene